Following former President Donald Trump’s recent endorsement of a Florida ballot measure to legalize cannabis, Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign is highlighting what it calls Trump’s contradictory stance on marijuana reform. In a memo, the Harris team criticized Trump for “brazen flip-flops” on the issue, accusing him of attempting to rewrite his record to appeal to voters.
The memo points to Trump’s time in office, specifically when his administration, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, rescinded the Cole Memo. This Obama-era policy had advised federal prosecutors to avoid interfering with state-legal cannabis businesses. While the reversal did not lead to a large-scale crackdown, it caused concern among cannabis industry players and state governments. According to the Harris campaign, this move demonstrated that Trump’s administration “took marijuana reform backwards.”
The memo goes on to accuse Trump of shifting his stance on various policy issues, including cannabis, for political gain. “Trump is now suggesting he supports legalizing marijuana, but during his presidency, his own Justice Department took steps to crack down on cannabis,” the memo states.
While the Harris campaign is quick to criticize Trump’s record on marijuana, it stops short of laying out its own detailed position on cannabis reform. However, Harris has previously advocated for legalization, and her role in sponsoring related legislation has been noted.
The Harris team argues that Trump’s evolving stance on marijuana is part of a broader pattern of inconsistency, as they attempt to portray his latest policy shifts as politically motivated ahead of the 2024 election.
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